Electrified rail construction for cranes, monorails, and the like



M. s. BLEMLY ETAL 3,155,207 ELECTRIFIED RAIL CONSTRUCTION FOR CRANES, MONORAILS, AND THE LIKE Nov. 3, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed OCt. 10, 1961 INVENTORJ M4AV/IV J. 625/114 Y L 450 M4 r5? JWJM Nov. 3, 1964 M. s. BLEMLY ETAL 3,155,207

ELECTRIFIED RAIL CONSTRUCTION FOR CRANES, MONORAILS, AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 10. 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORJ mnaw/v a. 0.4 EMA r Nov. 3, 1964 M. s. BLEMLY ETAL 3,155,207

ELECTRIFIED RAIL CONSTRUCTION FOR CRANES, MONORAILS, AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 10, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Arrolwvzrq United States Patent Ofiice 3,l55,2? Patented Nov. 3., 19%4 3,155,267 ELECTREFEEB RAIL CGNSTRUETEGN CRANES, MQIIGRAILS, AND THE LHQE Il/Iarvin S. Eiemly, Birmingham, Mich, and Leo Mayer, (Ileveiand Hei hts, Ghio, assignors to .lcrvis B. Webb Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Get. It), 1961, See. No. 144,130 7 (Iiairns. (El. 191-23) This invention relates to improvements in a construction for electrified rails such as are commonly employed in conjunction with the trolley supporting tracks or" overhead crane and monorail systems. In general, these improvements relate to the construction of an electrified conductor rail, an insulating jacket therefor, means for supporting the rail and insulating jacket either singly or in pairs, and an improved collector shoe and collector shoe bracket.

According to the invention, a conductor rail member of V or angle section is provided having two legs which intersect each other at an apex, there being outer and inner rail surfaces on each leg. An insulating jacket having portions which correspond to the legs of the rail memher is adapted to encase the outer surfaces thereof, these portions extending into overlapping relation with the inner rail surfaces adjacent the ends thereof leaving part of the inner rail surfaces exposed on either side of the apex. The jacket preferably includes an apron portion which forms an extension of one of the rail legs and a guard portion winch extends perpendicular to the other rail leg and terminates in spaced overlapping relation with the jacket apron to form a partial enclosure of the exposed inner rail surfaces, the space between the guard and apron being such as to minimize the likelihood of accidental contact with the exposed rail surfaces.

Supporting means for the conductor rail and insulating jacket consists of hanger brackets each of which has a pair of arms resilient relative to each other, with means on each of the arms and corresponding portions of the insulating jacket for providing a self-engaging snap-on type of connection between the hanger bracket and insulating jacket. As a result, the conductor bar and insulating jacket can be assembled to the hanger brackets without tools and When assembled the hanger brackets serve to retain the insulating jacket in proper relation with the conductor bar. Preferably each hanger bracket is capable of supporting a pair of conductor bars in their insulating jackets in side by side parallel relation, each hanger bracket consisting of a pair of members having base portions adapted to be placed in face to face rela tion, with each bracket member including one of the aforementioned arms for one rail member of the pair and the other of the aforementioned arms for the other rail member of the pair.

The trolleys of electrified rail constructions conventionally include a collector bracket which carries a collector shoe. In the present construction the improved collector shoe includes an enlarged rail contacting head, the dimensions of which transverse to the rail are greater than the aforementioned space between the guard and apron portions of the insulating jacket. These portions are relatively resilient in construction so that the enlarged head of the collector shoe may be snapped between them and into the enclosure they form for engagement with the exposed rail surfaces, but once in this enclosure, the guard portion of the jacket serves to prevent the collector shoe from jumping off the rail. The conductor bar is preferably mounted with the apex thereof extending horizontal and parallel to the trolley track surface and with the legs extending above and below the apex in outwardly diverging relation to the center of the track. The collector shoe is connected to the trolley collector bracket by means forming a swivel mounting whose center lies substantially at the level of the apex of the rail. The shoe is provided with a rounded rail contacting portion adapted to engage the exposed rail surfaces on either side of the apex, and is also provided with rail contacting portions which are spaced longitudinally of the shoe in the direction of travel and rounded in this direction so that this shoe configuration, in combination with the swivel mounting of the collector shoe, permits the shoe to ride on the rail in self centering relation to the surfaces thereof and to maintain this relation on both inside and outside curves. This swivel mounting of the collector shoe on the collector bracket also permits self-disengaging movement of the shoe from the rail when the bracket is moved away from the rail.

Another feature of the invention includes the provision of improved means for splicing one conductor rail section to the next section.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be brought out in conjunction with the following description of the presently preferred constructional example of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings which consist of the following views:

FIGURE 1, an end elevation of an electrified rail construction showing a trolley supporting track member, conductor bars, and a portion of a trolley including collector bracket and collector shoe;

FIGURE 2, a fragmentary sectional plan view taken as indicated by the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3, a side elevation of the trolley collector bracket taken as indicated by the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 4, a side elevation of a conductor bar and supporting brackets as indicated by the arrow 4 of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 5, a plan view of a splice construction for connecting two conductor bars together in end-to-end relation (in this view, the conductor bars have been rotated 45 from their normal mounted position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8);

FIGURES 6 and 7, sectional elevations taken as indicated by the lines 6-5 and 7-7 respectively on FIG. 5;

FIGURE 8, a fragmentary end elevation showing a collector shoe disengaged from the electrified rail; and

FIGURE 9, a plan view schematically showing engagement between a collector shoe and conductor bar on inside and outside curves.

Referring to FIG. 1, a track member 10 of conventional I-beam section includes a vertical web 11 and a pair of lower flanges 12 and 13 which form tracks for the wheels 14 of a trolley, one such wheel being shown riding on the flange 12. The complete trolley 16 is not shown, it being understood that it would include structure extending under the rail 10 and supporting one or more wheels which would ride on the flange 13. Trolley 16 would also conventionally include one or more electric motors (not shown), powered and sometimes controlled through the electrification system of the invention.

The components of this electrification system include collector brackets, collector shoes and conductor bars. Each collector bracket consists of a U-shaped member 18 (FIGS. 1 and 3) which is pivotally carried on a pin 19 mounted on a wheel support 24 of the trolley, and normally urged in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, by a torsion spring 22 having portions 23 coiled about the pin 19, arms 24 engaging the bracket 18, and a central portion 25 reacting against the support 20.

Each collector shoe assembly (FIGS. 1-3) includes a shoe supporting block 26, secured to the upper portion 27 of the collector bracket 18 by bolts 28; a collector shoe 3t}, and a collector shoe arm 31 having a spherical end portion 32. The supporting block 26 is made of insulating material in an upper part 34 and a lower part 35 each being provided with a semispherical seat to receive the spherical end portion 32 of the collector shoe arm, and with a slotted portion 37, which when the parts 34 and 3-5 are assembled in face to face relation, forms a longitudinally extending passage through the block and the spherical socket for receiving a lead wire 49. A passage is formed in the spherical end 32 of the collector shoe arm for receiving the uninsulated end portion 42 of the lead wire, this being held in position by a set screw 43.

Each of the three conductors bars 44a, 44b, and 44c shown in HS. 1 is a V-shaped or angle section member having two legs 45 and 46 which intersect each other at an apex 47. Each conductor bar is mounted by struc ture to be presently described, so that the apex 47 thereof extends horizontally and is directed toward the center line of the track as represented by the vertical web ll, thereby providing an outer rail surface 4% and an inner rail surface 49 on each of the legs t and as, the inner rail surfaces converging toward the track center line.

Each conductor bar is partially encased by an insulating jacket 5% which includes portions 52 and 53 extending over the outer rail surfaces of each of the legs and as and into overlapping engagement with the inner surfaces of the legs adjacent the ends thereof. Jacket portion 53 includes an aprondike extension ss provided with a longitudinally extending L-shaped notch 57. Jacket portion 52 includes a guard-like extension 58 whose end 59 lies in spaced overlapping relation with the apron 36 of the jacket portion 55 to partially enclose the exposed inner rail surfaces 49.

The insulating jacket is preferably extruded of some suitable plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride which is relatively flexible, has high dielectric strength and is unaffected by moisture, sunlight or chemical attack.

The separation between the end 59 of the guard-like extension 53 and the apron portion 56 is such as to prevent accidental contact with the exposed rail surfaces; and, since this guard-like portion extends into spaced overlapping relation with the apron portion, it acts as a drip shield to prevent any substance, liquid or solid, from falling into contact with an exposed rail surface. In this connection, the guard 58 of the insulating jacket extends into overlying relation with a depressed portion 33 of the collector shoe arm 31 which extends to a level below the rail contacting portions of the shoe and below the connection between the arm 31 and its spherical end portion 32.

The insulating jacket, being of relatively flexible material, can easily be assembled to a conductor bar by simply slipping the jacket endwise over the conductor bar.

In the construction shown, a hanger bracket for mounting a conductor bar in fixed relation to the path of trolley movement is constructed to hold a pair of conductor bars. Each bracket includes a pair of spring-like members 62 and 63 having nested U-shaped base portions 64 and 65 respectively and pairs of arms 66 and 67. Each arm 67, whether forming a part of the bracket member 62 or the bracket member 63, is provided with a U-shaped end projection 79 which is adapted to be engaged in the recess 57 of the insulating jacket. Each other arm 66 ends in a rounded clip which is adapted to be snapped into engagement with the oppositely disposed jacket portion 73. Two pairs of bracket members s2 and as can be secured to the web ll of the track member ill in backto-back relation by a single fastening bolt '74 which holds the U-shaped bracket portions 64 and S in nested relation and holds the bracket arms 65 and 67 in position to receive the assembly of a conductor bar and insulating jacket.

Engagement of the hanger bracket with an asssembly of a conductor bar and insulating jacket is not only accomplished without tools, but when engaged, the hanger bracket arms act to hold or retain the conductor bar and insulating jacket in proper assembled relation.

Conductor bars are furnished in sections ofccnvenient lengths and adjacent sections are connected end-to-end relation to form a continuous rail by the splice construction shown in FIGS. 57 between conductor bar sections 446! and 446, the adjacent ends of which are indicated by the references 75 and 76 in FIG. 5. Conductor bar 44d is encased in an insulating jacket 53d, conductor bar 44c in an insulating jacket Elle, these jackets being cut so as to end short of the end of the rail they respectively encase as shown at '77 and "73. A splice bar 553 is mounted on the ends of the conductor bars idd and Me in the space between the ends of their respective insulating jackets Ella. and Site. As shown in FIG. 6, the splice bar is an angle section member of a she e complementary to that of the conductor bars, having legs 81 and 52 each provided with a U-shaped terminal portion 83 so that the splice bar can be slipped over the end of a conductor bar into engagement therewith. A suitable member of threaded holes are provided along one of the legs 32 of the spice bar to receive set screws 34 which secure the splice bar 343 to each or" the conductor bars 44a. and Me which it engages. Lock nuts 35 are preferably mounted on the set screws 84. Wherever desired, the terminal 86 of a power lead wire 37 may be mounted on one of the set screws $4 and held in position by the lock nut mounted on that set screw.

The splice assembly is completed by a length of insulating jacket 5%? which, as shown in HS. 7, is shaped with end portions 8% and 91'? which can be slipped into overlapping self-engaging relation with the end portions of the insulating jackets 5dr! and Sile, a bowed configuration being provided along one leg 91 of the splice jacket 83 for clearance with the set screws 34, this clearance also providing a passage through which the end of the power lead 87 may be passed.

In instances where a short isolated section of conductor bar is installed, a half section of splice clamp and its insulating jacket may be employed to establish a connection for the power feed wire.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that field installation of the components of this system is extremely simple and requires a minimum of tools and time. At each location where mounting brackets are installed, only a single bolt is needed to provide a mounting for as many as four conductor bars. Once the mounting brackets have been installed, the conductor bars encased in their insulating jackets, are positioned on the brackets and snapped into place. Splice sections are also quickly installed since the set screws 84 and lock nuts 85 are easily accessible until covered by the splice insulating jacket 38 which is snapped into place.

The combination of conductor bar and insulating jacket, with the Vsection conductor bar placed on edge, results in a box-like section which completely encases the exposed rail surfaces except for the opening provided be tween the end 59 of the insulating jacket guard 58 and apron 56. This box section on edge provides rail sur faces which are self-cleaniug and which have a selfcentering eifect on the col ector shoes. Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, S and 9, each collector shoe 39 is provided with a nose having rounded rail contacting surface 0 as shown in FIG. 1 which is dimensioned so as to contact each of the exposed rail surfaces 49 of the conductor bar, thereby providing two areas of contact with the V-shaped rail surfaces acting to center the collector shoe therebetween. Additionally, the collector shoe 3% is shaped as shown in FIG. 2 with a pair of rail contacting areas 91 and E 2, separated by a central recessed area 93. This, in combination with the rounded sha e, provides four areas of contact; and, as shown schematically in FIG. 9, maximum contact area is maintained either on an inside curve section 94- or an outside curve section 95. The nose of the collector shoe 3t? has a width in excess of the space between the guard 43 and apron as of the insulating jacket, the end 5'9 of the guard 58 extending into overlapping rclation with the collector shoe (FIG. 1), so that the insulating jacket prevents the collector shoe from jum ing off the conductor bar.

Maximum contact area also insured by e pivotal mounting of the collector shoe bracket 38, normally urged the spring 22 towards a conductor bar, in combination with the universal mounting of the collector shoe arm 31 in the block 26. While universal pivoting movement of the spherical end portion 32 of the collector shoe arm 31 in the bl ck 25 is limited in extent, it is sufiicient to not only compensate for the usual irregularities resulting from the motion of the trolley along the rail surfaces 12 and 13 and from minor variations in distance between these rail surfaces and the conductor bars resulting from the usual installation inaccuracies, but is also suflicient to materially aid in Withdrawing a cchector shoe from a conductor bar assembly for inspection and maintenance. In order to withdraw a collector shoe from engagement with the rail surfaces and from the box-like configurations of conductor bar insulating jacket, it is merely necessary to manually pull the collector shoe mounting racket 38 in a direction away from the rail, overcoming he force of the spring 22. Some additional withdrawing force is also necessary in order to produce some distortion in the guard portion 58 of the insulating jacket, but this is minimized by the fact that the collector shoe arm 31 will rotate downwardly as shown in FIG. 8.

laturaliy a somewhat reverse action is obtained when it is desired to re-engage the collector shoe with the conductor bar rail surfaces except in this case the rounded nose 9% of the collector shoe aids in spreading the guard 58 away from the apron 56 of the insulating jacket.

Other features and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in this field, and while preferred embodiments have been described above in detail, it will be understood that numerous modifications might be resorted to without departing from the scope of our invention as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. An electrified rail construction for use in conjunction with a track along which a wheeled vehicle is adapted to travel, characterized by the combination of a collector shoe mounted on the vehicle, a rail member formed of angle section stock having a pair of converging rail surfaces, an insulating jacket encasing the rail member except for exposed adjacent portions of the converging rail surfaces thereof, the insulating jacket including a guard portion extending generally perpendicularly from one of the rail surfaces and generally parallel to the other of the rail surfaces to partially enclosed the exposed rail surfaces leaving a continuous slotted opening sufficient to permit the placing of the collector shoe in such partial enclosure, and means mounting the rail member with the exposed rail surface thereof disposed vertically above and below the path of travel of the collector shoe, said guard portion of the insulating jacket being inclined downwardly from the rail surface which is disposed above the path of travel.

2. An electrified rail construction as claimed in claim 1 further characterized by the collector shoe being provided with a rounded surface adapted to contact both said exposed rail surfaces of the rail member.

3. An electrified ra l construction as claimed in claim 2 further characterized by the collector shoe having a pair of rounded rail surface contacting portions spaced longitudinally of the rail member and separated by a center portion in clearance relation with the rail surfaces to provide four areas of contact between the collector shoe and the rail member.

4. An electrified rail construction according to claim 1 apron portion extending downwardly from the other of the rail surfaces into spaced relation with the guard portion of the insulating jacket.

5. An electrified rail construction according to claim 4 further characterized by the space between the guard and apron portions of the insulating jacket being less than the width of the rail engaging portion of the collector shoe, the guard portion being flexible relative to the apron portion but normally acting to prevent the shoe from jumping off the rail surfaces.

6. An electrified rail construction f 1' use in conjunction with a track along which a wheeled vehicle is adapted to travel, characterized by the combination of a collector shoe mounted on the vehicle, a rail member formed of angle section stock having a pair of converging rail surfaces, an insulating jacket encasing the rail member except for expose-d adjacent portions of the converging rail surfaces thereof, the insulating jacket including a guard portion extending generally perpendicularly from one of the rail surfaces and generally parallel to the fother of the rail surfaces to partially enclose the exposed rail surfaces leaving a continuous slotted opening sufficient to permit the placing of tie collector shoe in such partial enclosure, and means mounting the rail member with the exposed rail surfaces thereof disposed to either side of the path of travel of the collector shoe, said guard portion of the insulating jacket overlapping at least a portion of the collector shoe.

7. A conductor bar construction comprising in combination a conductor member, an insulating jacket therefor, a hanger bracket, and means for securing said hanger bracket to a support, said conductor bar comprising an angle section member having a pair of legs which intersect each other at an apex, each leg having outer, end and inner surfaces; said insulating jacket having a pair of angularly related portions corresponding to said rail member legs, said jacket portions being adapted to cncase 1 the outer surfaces and ends of said legs and extended into overlapping, self-retaining engagement with each in her leg surface adjacent said ends, leaving a portion of each inner surface exposed on either side of said apex, one of said jacket portions being provided with a recess adjacent to and directed toward the end of one leg of the conductor bar, the other of said jacket portions including a shoulder adjacent the end of the other conductor bar leg; said hanger bracket including a pair of arms flexible relative to each other and having jacket engaging portions diverging at an angular relation corresponding to that of the angularly related portions of the jacket, one of said'arms being provided with a U-shaped end adapted to be engaged in said jacket recess, the other of said arms being provided with a rounded l-ip adapted to be snapped into overlapping engagement with the aforesaid jacket shoulder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,155,207 November 3, 1964 Marvin S. Blemly et alo It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 17, for "A suitable member" read A suitable number line 73, for "guard 48" read guard 58 column 5, line 49, for "partially enclosed" read partially enclose line 53, for "rail surface" read rail surfaces Signed and sealed this 15th day of June 1965 (SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER E EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. AN ELECTRIFIED RAIL CONSTRUCTION FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH A TRACK ALONG WHICH A WHEELED VEHICLE IS ADAPTED TO TRAVEL, CHARACTERIZED BY THE COMBINATION OF A COLLECTOR SHOE MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE, A RAIL MEMBER FORMED OF ANGLE SECTION STOCK HAVING A PAIR OF CONVERGING RAIL SURFACES, AN INSULATING JACKET ENCASING THE RAIL MEMBER EXCEPT FOR EXPOSED ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE CONVERGING RAIL SURFACES THEREOF, THE INSULATING JACKET INCLUDING A GUARD PORTION EXTENDING GENERALLY PERPENDICULARLY FROM ONE OF THE RAIL SURFACES AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE OTHER OF THE RAIL SURFACES TO PARTIALLY ENCLOSED THE EXPOSED RAIL SURFACES LEAVING A CONTINUOUS SLOTTED OPENING SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT THE PLACING OF THE COLLECTOR SHOE IN SUCH PARTIAL ENCLOSURE, AND MEANS MOUNTING THE RAIL MEMBER WITH THE EXPOSED RAIL SURFACE THEREOF DISPOSED VERTICALLY ABOVE AND BELOW THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE COLLECTOR SHOE, SAID GUARD PORTION OF THE INSULATING JACKET BEING INCLINED DOWNWARDLY FROM THE RAIL SURFACE WHICH IS DISPOSED ABOVE THE PATH OF TRAVEL. 